Frazier Thomas

Eight past and present Chicago broadcasters and a former FCC chairman who once declared television “a vast wasteland” have been chosen for induction in the Chicago TV Academy’s Silver Circle.

All nine 2018 honorees were announced Saturday at the 59th annual regional Emmy Awards, sponsored by the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. They’ll be inducted May 4. Continue reading →

The New 93.9 Lite FM

After more than four years as 93.9 My FM, WLIT FM 93.9 has turned back to branding itself as “Lite FM.”

The iHeartMedia station unveiled its retro name (“The New 93.9 Lite FM”) and new logo at 5 p.m. Friday — four weeks into its annual nonstop Christmas music marathon. Programming will revert to WLIT's mainstream adult contemporary format December 26. Continue reading →

104.3 JAMS

The switch of WJMK FM 104.3 from classic hits to a classic hip-hop and R&B format, and an interview with Mark Suppelsa on his impending retirement after 25 years as a Chicago news anchor led the top 10 most-read stories here in November.

To read the full posts, click on the headlines: Continue reading →

Joel Weisman (Photo: WTTW)

Stop the presses: Joel Weisman, the Chicago journalism icon who’s been synonymous with “Chicago Week in Review” since the show began on WTTW-Channel 11, is voluntarily stepping down after a record-setting 40 years.

Weisman, 75, announced at the end of Friday’s taping that he will retire as host and senior editor of the public television program when it celebrates its 40th anniversary next month. It’s the longest-running series in the station’s history.

A one-hour special January 19 — Weisman’s farewell broadcast — will salute his remarkable run as self-styled “reporter, editor, traffic cop and referee” of the weekly roundtable of journalists. The show, formally titled “Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review,” is a fixture on WTTW's schedule at 7 p.m. Fridays. Continue reading →

Phil Ponce (Photo: WTTW)

Robservations on the media beat:

Chicago public television viewers will be seeing less of Phil Ponce in the new year. The longtime host of “Chicago Tonight” confirmed that he’ll reduce his workload at WTTW-Channel 11 to three days a week in 2018 and two days a week in 2019. “The station is graciously letting me transition away from full-time status,” Ponce, 68, said in an email Wednesday. “Tempus fugit and we’ve got a great bench that deserves more time in the saddle (am I mixing metaphors?) I don’t know what will happen after year two and will play that by ear. In any case, I do not want to stay on the air so long that I start scaring the horses.” Except for a four-year break, Ponce has hosted the flagship nightly news program for the Window to the World Communications station since 1999. Continue reading →

Bruce DuMont

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s official: Bruce DuMont is stepping down as president of Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications when his term expires at the end of the year. DuMont, 73, notified the museum board Tuesday that he will relinquish the leadership position he has held since he founded the nonprofit institution in 1983. “It’s time to bring in some new blood to meet the day-to-day challenges of the museum and plan for its future,” he said. No decision has been made on a successor, according to interim board chairman Larry Wert. In addition to exhibits on the history of television and radio in America, the museum at 360 North State Street is currently drawing record crowds to its multimedia attraction Saturday Night Live: The Experience. Continue reading →

Steve Baskerville

After 30 years of sunny skies and good cheer at WBBM-Channel 2, Steve Baskerville is retiring as chief meteorologist at the CBS-owned station.

Baskerville, 67, announced Tuesday that he plans to step down effective December 22. No successor has been named as weather anchor for the station’s 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekday newscasts, according to a CBS 2 spokeswoman. Continue reading →

Mark Suppelsa

After 25 years as one of Chicago’s most admired and respected news anchors, Mark Suppelsa is about to sign off for good. And by all accounts, he couldn’t be happier to ride off into the Montana sunset.

December 8 is circled on his calendar as Suppelsa’s last night on the air at WGN-Channel 9, where he anchors the 5, 9 and 10 p.m. weekday newscasts with Micah Materre. In a fitting coda to his career, the Tribune Broadcasting station posted double-digit increases in late-news ratings for the just-ended November sweep.

Although Suppelsa, 55, announced his retirement more than three months ago, his bosses have yet to designate a successor. The decision may be complicated by the timing of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media, which awaits government approval. Continue reading →

Chicago Reader

Robservations on the media beat:

Edwin Eisendrath

The Chicago Reader is in no danger of folding — or getting folded into the Chicago Sun-Times. That’s the word from Sun-Times Media CEO Edwin Eisendrath, who seems as bullish on the alternative weekly as he is on the daily tabloid. “Like everything else here, the Reader’s gonna grow,” Eisendrath said in response to rumors of downsizing the unprofitable brand. “It’s gonna have to think about its mission. It’s not the same thing as the Sun-Times. If somebody says it’s the Sunday magazine for the Sun-Times, that’s fantasyland. We’ve never thought about that.” But he acknowledged he’s still looking for ways both publications can share resources. Reader editorial employees recently ratified their first contract via the Chicago News Guild. “The truth is, they were underpaid,” Eisendrath said of the staff he inherited. “I approved the contract not because it made economic sense, but because it was inhumane what they were being paid.” Continue reading →

Dann Gire

Robservations on the media beat:

The great Dann Gire, award-winning film critic of the Daily Herald, is stepping down today after 42 years as a full-time employee of the newspaper. Gire, 64, was among a reported 17 staffers to accept voluntary buyouts from parent company Paddock Publications. But wait, there’s a sequel: Gire is expected to continue reviewing movies and contributing other features on a freelance basis. Until his new deal is official, Gire declined to comment. He joined the Daily Herald in 1975 as a reporter covering government, crime and courts, and was named film critic in 1978. A graduate of Eastern Illinois University and eight-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for arts criticism, Gire also serves as president and founding director of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Continue reading →